Every year the snow comes before the legs are ready. The lifts spin, the firm early-season mornings arrive, and a body that spent the off-season on the bike or behind a desk gets asked to absorb thousands of turns. The injuries that end valley ski seasons are rarely dramatic—they’re the tight hip that overloaded the knee, the stiff ankle that couldn’t adapt to a rut. A little preparation goes a long way.
Start six to eight weeks out
You don’t need a heroic program—you need consistency. In the weeks before opening day, build toward legs that can take repeated eccentric load (think controlled squats, step-downs, and single-leg work) and a base of easy aerobic fitness. Uphill laps and hikes around the valley are perfect, and they double as scenery.
Win back your mobility
Skiing rewards mobile ankles and hips and a thoracic spine that can rotate. Most of us lose all three over a summer of cycling and sitting. Daily ankle and hip mobility—just a few minutes—pays off the first time you’re in the backseat on a firm pitch and need to recover.
Where bodywork fits
A pre-season sports massage session or two—ideally a few weeks before you start—helps release the restriction that limits ankle and hip range, so your prep work actually sticks. Then a session every few weeks through the season keeps tissue quality high across a long winter of big days.
Through the season
- Respect the first weeks. Ease in; your tendons need time even if your enthusiasm doesn’t.
- Recover deliberately after the biggest days—sleep, food, easy movement, and recovery work as needed.
- Address niggles early, while they’re small—the season is long.
Do a little now and the valley gives you its reward: a full season on snow, on your terms.